Teen's jaw broken in attack near Arlington Heights festival

Arlington Heights police say a 15-year-old Chicago boy’s jaw was broken when he was attacked by three other teens near the Arlington Heights Frontier Days Festival grounds Saturday night.

According to Arlington Heights Crime Prevention Officer Douglas Hajek, police got a call from a carnival worker at 10 p.m. The worker reportedly said kids were running around the soccer fields at Recreation Park, 500 E. Miner St., and something appeared to be happening, Hajek said.

According to reports, the boy and his friends were talking with a group of girls when the group of teens approached them. They exchanged words and one of the teens reportedly twice struck the boy in the face with a closed fist, police said. Two other teens may have grabbed or kicked him, police said.

The boy reportedly had a cut lip at the scene and refused to go to the hospital, Arlington Heights Police Commander Mike Hernandez said, adding that the boy’s parents were contacted and also agreed to decline medical attention. But after the boy got home, police said, he complained of jaw pain. Police said it was later determined his jaw was broken.

“We’re actively investigating it and actively following up on some leads,” Hernandez said. There have been no arrests or any charges filed in the incident, police said.

Hernandez said the injured boy did not know the people who confronted him, some of whom were high-school students.

“It looks like there was some dispute over the girls and the other group took exception to him talking to the girls,” Hernandez said.

Both the girls and those suspected in the attack left the area before police arrived, he said.

“We don’t know who threw the first punch, but the victim said he [was] hit [first],” Hernandez said.

Police had no further information on the boy’s condition or where he was treated.